Three days after calling off their search of the Whitby area, Durham Regional Police were once again looking for missing high school teacher Jeffrey Boucher – this time in the water.

Sgt. Nancy van Rooy said Durham police were searching the waterfront area of Lake Ontario with the help of the Toronto Police Marine Unit on Friday morning, before suspending the operation due to “high winds and unsafe ground conditions.”

Due to high winds and unsafe ground conditions, DRP and @TorontoPolice Marine Unit, have discontinued their search until next week.

The Toronto Police marine unit has more advanced technology than Durham Police. They are using an underwater robot with camera capabilities, tethered to officers on land while it searches off the Whitby pier on Water Street.

The Remote Operated Vehicle has sonar and video capabilities, allowing divers to scour the bottom of the lake from land. The ROV also has a mechanical arm, able to retrieve objects underwater.

The machine can reach depths of 150 metres and is a secondary function for marine unit officers.

Van Rooy said police have searched this area before, but not with this kind of underwater technology.

Boucher was reported missing Monday Jan 13 and it is suspected he went for his routine morning run in the Whitby area that morning but didn’t return home.